Search

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to create and evaluate online learning modules designed to teach speech-language pathologists (SLPs) dialogic reading strategies and phonemic awareness skills. Method: School-based SLPs (n = 28) were assigned to complete one of two online learning modules. One module taught dialogic reading strategies, and the other taught phonemic awareness. Participants in the dialogic reading group served as controls for the phonemic awareness group and vice versa. Participants completed a pretest that assessed phonemic awareness skill and knowledge of dialogic reading strategies to control for prior knowledge and skill, completed their assigned module, and then completed a posttest that assessed phonemic awareness skill and knowledge of dialogic reading strategies. Results: Data were analyzed using multiple regression. The independent variables were pretest score, group, and the pretest score by group interaction. The dependent variable in the first model was posttest score on the dialogic reading measure. The dependent variable in the second model was posttest score on the phonemic awareness measure. There was a statistically significant group by posttest score interaction in the dialogic reading model, indicating that the dialogic reading module was effective for improving knowledge of dialogic reading strategies. There was not a statistically significant group by posttest score interaction in the phonemic awareness module, indicating that the phonemic awareness module was not effective for improving phoneme segmentation skill and phoneme manipulation skill. Conclusions: Online learning modules may be effective for establishing knowledge needed for evidence-based practice in speech-language pathology. Additional research is warranted to determine whether online learning modules can be used to change clinician intervention behavior.

Introduction: People with disabilities are under-represented among psychology faculty and graduate students and are more likely than their non-disabled peers to attrite from psychology graduate programs. They face numerous barriers in graduate training. Statement of the Problem: Teaching experience is a core experience for psychology graduate students, especially those pursuing faculty positions. Disabled graduate students face many barriers that may make it difficult for them to obtain high-quality graduate student teaching experience. This contributes to the continuing under-representation of disabled faculty in psychology programs. Literature Review: I review key empirical and conceptual articles on the experiences of disabled psychology trainees and how to best support them. Teaching Implications: I provide evidence-based suggestions and strategies for supporting graduate students with disabilities as they obtain teaching experience. Conclusion: By actively supporting graduate students with disabilities in their teaching endeavors, psychology faculty can help stem the leaky pipeline and increase the numbers of psychology faculty with disabilities.

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) exhibit weaknesses in the syntactic aspects of language that affect their spoken language (i.e., speaking and listening) and written language (i.e., reading and writing). Speech-language pathologists (SLP) who work with children with DLD are the team member with the greatest expertise in syntax. However, emerging data suggest that speech-language pathology (SLP) students and SLPs have limitations in their explicit syntax knowledge that may affect how they assess and treat the language and literacy knowledge and skills of children with DLD. Additionally, there is a lack of data on the outcomes of professional development specific to syntax. This paper reports on the effects of self-paced, online learning modules on SLP graduate students' explicit syntax knowledge. Thirty-six SLP graduate students completed online syntax learning modules that taught four pairs of syntactic structures. SLP graduate students experienced a treatment effect from two of the four online training modules. Treatment effects seemed to be influenced by the syntactic skill being treated, by prior knowledge of that particular syntactic structure, and by other environmental factors, including training program. Although future studies should explore these factors further, the outcomes of this pilot study are the first to report on a way to improve SLP graduate students', and potentially SLPs', explicit syntax knowledge.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the attitudes and knowledge of school-based speech-language pathologists toward trauma-informed care. Method: School-based speech-language pathologists (N = 116) completed the Attitudes Related to Trauma-Informed Care Scale Version 45 Education (ARTIC-45) survey via an online survey platform and provided information about their work experience, history with trauma training, and demographic variables. Results: Although speech-language pathologists had responses that, on average, aligned with trauma-informed perspectives, those perspectives varied and were not at ceiling. Characteristics such as age, years of experience, and foster care experience did not significantly influence the results, but self-rating of trauma-informed care knowledge did correlate with the ARTIC-45 survey. Participants who had engaged in trauma-informed care trainings had more trauma-informed perspectives and knowledge than participants who had not. Conclusions: The results of this study provide preliminary evidence that trauma-informed care trainings may benefit those speech-language pathologists working with children who have experienced trauma. This study also provides preliminary evidence supporting the validity of the ARTIC-45 for use with speech-language pathologists.

This study compared preschool spoken language outcomes for children with hearing loss who met the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) guidelines to those who did not, as well as compared outcomes for those who met the current EHDI guidelines to those who met the earlier benchmarks. Finally, the predictive role of meeting each component of the guidelines was evaluated relative to language outcomes. Children who met the EHDI guidelines had higher language scores than those who did not; however, there was no difference between children who met the current guidelines and those who met the earlier benchmarks. Entering early intervention by 6 months of age was the only unique predictor of spoken language outcomes. The findings suggest that EHDI programs should target increasing the number of children with hearing loss who meet the current 1-3-6 benchmarks with a particular focus on enrollment in early intervention by 6 months.

Suicide is a major public health issue, and a leading cause of death in the United States. Caregivers of young children with or at-risk for disabilities and developmental delays may experience significant life stressors that increase their risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Early childhood special education (ECSE) home visitors may be in a prime position to notice and intervene in these situations but may lack the training and confidence to do so. This article outlines evidence-based strategies for identifying and responding to possible suicidal thoughts and behaviors in the context of ECSE home visiting.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of switching from in-person assessment to virtual assessment during the COVID-19 pandemic on the growth trajectories of children with hearing loss who are learning spoken language. Method: Sixty-eight children with typical hearing, 44 children with cochlear implants, and 47 children with hearing aids were assessed with a normreferenced measure of receptive vocabulary, a criterion-referenced measure of phonological awareness, and a criterion-referenced measure of conceptual print knowledge at least 4 times, at 6-month intervals, between the ages of 4 and 6 years. Of those participants, 26 children with typical hearing, 13 children with cochlear implants, and 13 children with hearing aids entered virtual testing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The slopes of growth for children who entered virtual testing were compared to their own slopes prepandemic and to the growth slopes of children who completed all testing in-person, prepandemic. Results: Within-subject comparisons across all measures did not show a change in growth slopes prepandemic to postpandemic. For the measure of conceptual print knowledge, children who were tested during the pandemic showed slower overall growth than children who were tested prepandemic. No effects of hearing status were found across growth on any measure. Conclusion: These preliminary data support the use of virtual assessment to measure growth in receptive vocabulary, phonological awareness, and conceptual print knowledge in children with hearing loss learning spoken language.

The purpose of this study was to consider how living in an area that qualifies for a rural health grant interacts with a child's hearing status to affect early language and literacy development. Four-year-old children with hearing aids (n = 45), cochlear implants (n = 47), and with typical hearing (n = 66) completed measures of spoken language knowledge and of emergent literacy skills as part of a larger longitudinal investigation. A significant interaction effect between location (rural or urban/suburban) and amplification group was detected for letter knowledge: children with hearing aids exhibit a performance that is particularly affected by rural location. Overall, children with cochlear implants performed lower across all measures than children with typical hearing, and children with hearing aids performed lower than children with typical hearing on measures of phonological awareness, vocabulary, omnibus language knowledge and articulation.

Bullying and peer victimization are increasingly recognized as a detriment to the well-being of students. While the past two decades have seen the development of several effective approaches to prevention at the elementary and middle school levels, very little research has documented effective strategies for students in high schools. The current study evaluated a simple, student-led intervention called Stand for Courage (SfC), conducted across six high schools in the Mountain West, to determine the relationship between the implementation of SfC and the reduction of self- reported victimization and perpetration. Results of the one year study indicated that following intervention, students in SfC schools were 51.9% less likely to report victimization and 53.8% less likely to report perpetration compared to students in control schools. Additional chi-square analyses also determined that victimization and perpetration differed significantly between treatment groups by location, victim response, and peer response. Implementation fidelity of intervention components remained high across the study, and both adults and students within the study reported the intervention was both effective, efficient, and worth their time and effort. While limitations exist, the results of this study provide powerful evidence for the effectiveness of simple, student led prevention strategies in high schools., Peer victimization, such as bullying, now has over 40 years of research documenting its dramatic and long-lasting effects for individuals of varying genders, races, and ages (Swearer & Hymel, 2015). [...]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a quick shift to virtual speech-language services; however, only a small percentage of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) had previously engaged in telepractice. The purpose of this clinical tutorial is: (1) to describe how the Early Language and Literacy Acquisition in Children with Hearing Loss study, a longitudinal study involving speech-language assessment with children with and without hearing loss, transitioned from in-person to virtual assessment; and (2) to provide tips for optimizing virtual assessment procedures. Method: We provide an overview of our decision making during the transition to virtual assessment. Additionally, we report on a pilot study that calculated test-retest reliability from in-person to virtual assessment for a subset of our preschool-age participants. Results: Our pilot study revealed that most speech-language measures had high or adequate test-retest reliability when administered in a virtual environment. When low reliability occurred, generally the measures were timed. Conclusions: Speech-language assessment can be conducted successfully in a virtual environment for preschool children with hearing loss. We provide suggestions for clinicians to consider when preparing for virtual assessment sessions.

Parents of young children with disabilities may experience high levels of stress and psychological distress that may put them at higher risk for experiencing suicidality. Thus, early childhood home visitors (e.g., professionals who work for home-based early intervention programs) may serve as important gatekeepers for identifying and referring parents who are experiencing psychological distress, including suicidal thoughts. However, most early childhood home visitors do not receive training on identifying or intervening with distressed and potentially suicidal caregivers. Therefore, early childhood home visitors would benefit from acquiring evidence-based, accessible strategies for identifying and responding to caregivers who they know or suspect are experiencing suicidal thoughts--a class of knowledge and skills that can be obtained through "suicide gatekeeper" training. In this article, we provide evidence-based information about suicide risk among parents of young children with disabilities, the intervention of suicide gatekeeping, and how suicide gatekeeping can be incorporated into the early childhood home visitor role.

Introduction: Positionality statements accompanying peer-reviewed publications are increasingly being implemented in academic journals across many disciplines, including psychology. These statements serve as transparent, public acknowledgments of the authors' identities, which can offer valuable insight into the authors' work in the context of their lived experiences and potential biases. However, journal editors and associated staff risk harm by uniformly adopting a policy on positionality statements without consideration of the unintended consequences of implementing such practices. Objective/Purpose: The purpose of the current article is to discuss the benefits and challenges of incorporating positionality statements, with a focus on the specific context and principles of rehabilitation psychology. Method: We reviewed the literature on positionality statements and disclosure and incorporated our own experiences as researchers and authors from marginalized and/or minoritized groups. Results: Editorial and research teams in rehabilitation psychology are encouraged to reflect on both the potential benefits of positionality statements (e.g., greater recognition of "insider perspectives," recognition of potential biases) as well as the potential negative consequences (e.g., forced disclosure of characteristics and identities in published work, minimization of the impact of intersectional identities, dissolution of dynamic identities and stages of identity development). Conclusions/Implications: Positionality statements present complex challenges for rehabilitation psychology researchers from diverse backgrounds and their colleagues; thus, authors should be given the freedom to choose if and how to include a positionality statement in their work. Impact and Implications: The increasingly common act of asking authors and researchers to disclose their identities and backgrounds when publishing their work in the so-called "positionality statements" can have complex implications for authors and researchers, particularly those from marginalized and/or minoritized backgrounds. Positionality statements can encourage the inclusion and recognition of authors whose communities have traditionally been excluded from research. However, they can also potentially harm authors from vulnerable backgrounds by forcing disclosure of their identities; the pros and cons of including positionality statements must be carefully weighed by authors and editorial teams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relation between lexical knowledge and phonological awareness performance of children with cochlear implants. Method: Thirty children with cochlear implants (aged 5-7 years), 30 children with normal hearing matched for age, and 30 children with normal hearing matched for vocabulary size participated in the study. Children completed a vocabulary knowledge measure and three phonological awareness tasks with words that had high and low neighborhood density. Results: Children with cochlear implants performed more poorly than their age-matched peers and similarly to their vocabulary-matched peers on phonological awareness tasks. When performance was analyzed according to the neighborhood density of the target word, children with cochlear implants and age-matched children performed better with high-density words. Across all groups, vocabulary size correlated significantly with phonological awareness performance. Conclusion: Children with cochlear implants demonstrate delays in both vocabulary knowledge and phonological awareness performance, but children with cochlear implants appear to take advantage of lexical information similarly to their age-matched peers.

This preliminary study investigated the effects of co-treatment by an adapted physical educator and speech-language pathologist on basic concept vocabulary learning in preschool children with Down syndrome as compared with the effects of treatment by either professional alone. In a Repeated Acquisition Design/Adapted Alternating Treatment study, 10 preschool children with Down syndrome were taught five basic concept words each week in a co-treatment intervention, in adapted physical education alone, or in speech-language therapy alone across 9 weeks. Each week, participants participated in a pre- and posttest. Four children learned the most words in the co-treatment condition and the remaining six children did not learn different numbers of words across conditions. Individual characteristics of children in the study were evaluated to determine possible factors that differentiate learning patterns among children. This preliminary study provides evidence that co-treatment may be effective for vocabulary teaching for some children with Down syndrome, particularly those with relatively high nonverbal intelligence.

Introduction: Employed applicants for vocational rehabilitation need timely services to improve the likelihood of their successful job retention or career advancement. Little research exists that examines timeliness of services among employed applicants, particularly for applicants with visual disabilities. This study investigated time from vocational rehabilitation application to a signed Individualized Plan for Emplolyment (IPE) for employed applicants with visual disabilities. Method: The sample of 5,096 competitively employed vocational rehabilitation applicants from the FY2015 RSA-911 report was combined with survey responses from 51 vocational rehabilitation agencies about services to persons with visual disabilities. Multilevel modeling was used to examine effects of state-level and individual-level characteristics and cross-level interactions on the length of waiting time from vocational rehabilitation application to signed IPE. Results: The time from application to IPE was shorter for employed applicants with visual disabilities who received services from separate vocational rehabilitation agencies compared to that of combined vocational rehabilitation agencies. Employed vocational rehabilitation applicants with visual disabilities waited longer if they were younger, non-White, or received disability benefits. Official job-retention policies in state vocational rehabilitation agencies appeared to reduce the delay of IPE implementation for persons with secondary disabilities, for applicants who received disability benefits, and for persons who worked more hours per week. Discussion: Additional research to determine how vocational rehabilitation can provide services to employed persons as soon as possible after application is indicated, particularly for persons applying to combined agencies. Implications for practitioners: Vocational rehabilitation providers should explore ways to expedite service delivery, particularly for persons who are younger, non-White, or receiving disability benefits. Implementing official vocational rehabilitation policies for addressing job-retention and career-advancement cases may be one avenue to expedite services to some employed applicants.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate how services are provided to state-federal vocational rehabilitation consumers with comorbid traumatic brain injury (TBI) and visual impairment and the prevalence of and competitive employment rates for this population. Methods: We utilized a mixed-methods approach by incorporating interview data from 51 vocational rehabilitation agency administrators (to identify strategies used to serve these consumers) and case service data (to identify prevalence and competitive employment rates at the agency level). We combined the data to examine the relationship between strategies used and the prevalence of and employment outcomes for this population. A modified grounded theory approach was used for qualitative data analysis and descriptive statistics, and analyses of variance were used for quantitative data analyses. Results: Strategies used to serve these consumers included collaboration between counselors, involvement of external organizations, specialized TBI units or caseloads, staff training in TBI, and personnel with dual expertise in TBI and visual impairment. Over a third of agency administrators reported that they did not do anything special or different to serve this population. The average percentage of consumers with visual impairments who also had TBIs being served by agencies was 2.1%. Their average competitive employment rate by agency was 43.2%. Employing staff with dual expertise in TBI and visual impairment was associated with serving a greater percentage of consumers and having a higher competitive employment rate. Discussion: No agencies had a unique service delivery program or method to serve this population, perhaps due to its low prevalence. Agencies had substantial variability in the proportion of consumers with TBI and visual impairment served and their competitive employment rates. Implications for practitioners: Training vocational rehabilitation professionals to develop expertise in both TBIs and visual impairments may help agencies better serve these consumers.

Introduction: The purpose of this article was to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed studies on factors related to employment in consumers who are visually impaired using Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA-911) Case Service Report data. Methods: We used database, hand, and ancestral search strategies to systematically identify peer-reviewed studies published between 1990 and August 2018 where researchers used RSA-911 data to address the target question. All included articles were coded by two reviewers for study and participant characteristics, quality indicators, and outcomes. Results: Nine articles consisting of 14 analyses were included. Twelve analyses concerned employment outcomes; two concerned earnings. Researchers in most studies used large samples of 3,000 or more consumers and used multivariable analyses, most commonly multilevel logistic regression. Factors that consistently predicted lower employment across studies included presence of a secondary disability and legal blindness; higher education level consistently predicted higher employment, as did earnings and self-support at vocational rehabilitation application. Few analyses included state- or agency-level variables or specific vocational rehabilitation services. Discussion: These results indicate that certain groups of vocational rehabilitation consumers with visual impairments may be at greater risk of unsuccessful closures; researchers should examine specific strategies that may improve outcomes in these groups. These results also highlight the importance of education in securing employment among people with visual impairments. Researchers should examine state- and agency-level variables that may affect outcomes as well as the effects of specific services on outcomes. Additionally, researchers should analyze factors that may affect employment quality as well as employment outcomes. Implications for practitioners: Practitioners who are working with visually impaired people who do not have a postsecondary degree should encourage and assist their clients in obtaining one; practitioners may also wish to provide more targeted support for consumers from potentially high-risk subpopulations.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of survey-based research on predictors or correlates of employment outcomes for individuals with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Methods: We used a three-pronged systematic search process to identify quantitative, English, peer-reviewed articles published from 1990 to August 2018 that included analyses of factors related to employment in American adults with visual impairments. We coded all included articles for sample parameters, participant characteristics, quality indicators (QIs), and study outcomes. Results: Thirteen articles were included in the review. The majority of studies met few, if any, QIs. Education level, braille reading medium, and attending integrated or public schools were significantly associated with employment outcomes in most analyses in which those variables were included. Other demographic and disability-related variables were generally not associated with employment or yielded inconsistent results across studies. Psychosocial, service, and miscellaneous variables were included less frequently and were generally not associated with employment or yielded mixed results, with a few exceptions. Discussion: Based on our quality indicator ratings, there were consistent methodological weaknesses in this body of literature. Small samples (N = 200 or fewer) were prevalent across studies, which limits both generalizability and statistical power. Use of nonrepresentative and nonnational samples further limits generalizability of the results, and a lack of longitudinal studies hinders our ability to draw causal inferences. More high-quality employment research is needed, particularly in the areas of braille, transportation self-efficacy, and other psychosocial factors. Implications for practitioners: Despite the methodological issues identified in the included studies, results support findings from other systematic reviews regarding the importance of educational advancement for individuals with visual impairments. Practitioners should encourage individuals with visual impairments who do not have college degrees to explore options for postsecondary education.

Objective/Purpose: Historically, psychology trainees from marginalized communities have been underrepresented both as researchers and as participants in research on trainee experiences and outcomes. The current research can be used to develop evidence-based strategies to understand and improve the recruitment, retention, advancement, and overall training experiences of trainees with marginalized identities. Method: We review the existing literature on the experiences of psychology trainees, particularly that focused on trainees from marginalized backgrounds. Results: Quantitative, qualitative, and archival data collection and analysis methods each carry their own benefits and limitations, which must be considered and addressed intentionally to optimize the impact of research findings for multiply marginalized individuals. Mixed methods approaches are also discussed. Matching each limitation with a research design strategy is recommended, including the use of sample weights from population archival data to contextualize sample results, incorporating flexibility for reasonable accommodations for intensive qualitative studies, and other strategies. Conclusions/Implications: We provide guidance on selecting a methodology based on specific research and dissemination goals within this area and discuss implications and recommendations for both rehabilitation psychology specifically and the field more broadly. Training programs, governing bodies, faculty, researchers, and other invested parties have shared accountability to deliver diverse, equitable, and inclusive education and training experiences, and conducting high-quality research on the experiences of multiply marginalized trainees, including those with disabilities, is a key component of that process. Impact and Implications: Diversity, equity, and inclusion are increasingly recognized as a critical part of psychology, including psychology training. A key part of these efforts involves understanding the representation and experiences of psychology trainees from marginalized groups, including those who have disabilities and multiple marginalized identities. In this article, we discuss the benefits and limitations of different strategies for conducting research on the representation and experiences of marginalized trainees, so that knowledge of this important topic can be increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the relationship between exposure to classmates with visible impairments in primary and secondary schools with later attitudes toward people with disabilities. Fifty college students (mean age = 20.28 years; 76% female) completed measures assessing the extent and quality of recalled exposure to classmates with disabilities in elementary and secondary school. Attitudes toward social inclusion and toward a hypothetical social interaction were also measured. Participants reported generally high levels and quality of exposure, with significantly more exposure at the secondary level. Quality of exposure at both the elementary and secondary levels was significantly (p < 0.01) correlated with more positive cognitions (i.e., thoughts) during a hypothetical social interaction. Cognitions were not significantly correlated with emotions or behaviors, and amount of elementary exposure was negatively correlated with attitudes to social inclusion (p < 0.05). These results suggest a possible relation between positive early experiences and later friendship intentions that should be further explored.

This study compared college students' (N = 260) responses on a simple dichotomous screening measure and 2 behavior checklists. Seventy-nine participants (30.4%) screened positive (i.e., endorsed nonsuicidal self-injury [NSSI] behavior) on at least 1 measure, and 37 (46.8%) screened positive on the simple screen. Participants who screened positive on the simple screen reported more forms and instances of NSSI than did those who screened positive only on the checklist measures. They also reported significantly greater psychological distress compared with all other participant groups.

State and national educational leaders encourage the use of an integrated multitiered system of supports (MTSS) to improve services to students with academic and social behavior problems. Implementing and sustaining MTSS is facilitated by support from leaders in state education agencies (SEAs). The purpose of this study was to identify the specific events, resources, and supports that help or hinder the work of scaling up an integrated MTSS approach from the perspective of MTSS leaders in SEAs. Researchers interviewed leaders in 27 U.S. states using the critical incident technique, a qualitative methodology to identify critical incidents associated with changes in practice. Eight helping incident, seven hindering incident, and nine "wish list" categories were identified. Helping categories included multidisciplinary leadership, access to professional development, consistent language and/or practices, consultation with external partners, and a focus on student outcomes in evaluation and planning. Seven hindering categories included competing philosophies, high personnel turnover, varying levels of readiness, and inadequate data systems. Participants also identified two unique categories associated with the items they wished had happened or could happen in the future including access to personnel with high-level MTSS training and access to more effective interventions.

Purpose: This study investigates differences between preschool children with cochlear implants and age-matched children with normal hearing during an initial stage in word learning to evaluate whether they (a) match novel words to unfamiliar objects and (b) solicit information about unfamiliar objects during play. Method: Twelve preschool children with cochlear implants and 12 children with normal hearing matched for age completed 2 experimental tasks. In the 1st task, children were asked to point to a picture that matched either a known word or a novel word. In the 2nd task, children were presented with unfamiliar objects during play and were given the opportunity to ask questions about those objects. Results: In Task 1, children with cochlear implants paired novel words with unfamiliar pictures in fewer trials than children with normal hearing. In Task 2, children with cochlear implants were less likely to solicit information about new objects than children with normal hearing. Performance on the 1st task, but not the 2nd, significantly correlated with expressive vocabulary standard scores of children with cochlear implants. Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence that children with cochlear implants approach mapping novel words to and soliciting information about unfamiliar objects differently than children with normal hearing.